FORT MYERS, Fla. - To the surprise of nobody, John Farrell just named Jon Lester as the Opening Day when the Sox take on the Yankees in the Bronx on Monday. Lester, who threw four innings of two-hit, shutout ball in his final tuneup Wednesday against the Marlins, has been on schedule to start the opener, but Farrell wanted to keep the spotlight off the decision and let Lester focus on his craft.

Lester has been sharp this spring. He has thrown 20 innings, allowing just two earned runs and six hits. In addition, he's struck out 16 while walking four. Opponents hit just .092 against him. At times, he's seemed dominant.